The New Year is considered a time for change, resolutions, and goals and gives many the boost in energy and inspiration needed to complete tasks they’ve had on their minds for months. A growing home improvement trend is upgrades. This New Year, take the time—and these five transformation tips—to upgrade the exterior of your home to match your efforts and style on the interior.
5 exterior upgrades for 2024
Wondering how to create harmony between your indoor and outdoor spaces? A stylized exterior can raise the neighbourhood’s aesthetics and add to (instead of taking away from) the inside of the home. These five steps below can drastically improve the look and feel of your home.
1. Yard cleanup
Sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning also apply to the exterior of a home, albeit in different forms. Not only will a messy yard drive people away before even entering your home, but it will also be visible through any windows. So whatever efforts have been made to the interior of the home will be squandered by the mess surrounding it.
Start with the basic seasonal clean-ups: rake the leaves and dispose of them, shovel a path through the snow, and weed those weeds. Regularly mow the lawn, dispose of mulch, and water whatever needs watering. Don’t forget about the details.
If there’s splashback and the side of your home is covered in mud, hose it down. If the grass occasionally creeps into the driveway or patio, keep it manicured. If you have pets, clean up after them.
Cleaning the yard whether it’s for regular touch-ups, seasonal rejuvenation, or move-in clear-outs, is the first step to upgrading the exterior of your home, even paving the way for the next steps to be possible and impactful.
2. Add small accents
Having a clean and coiffed yard is already a bonus to your home, not only in terms of cleanliness and appearance, but also for managing allergens, insects, and critters. You never know what’s living in an overgrown lawn.
Now, to take it to the next level, add small accents that complement your style and home. If your yard is lacking in colour, add some colourful hanging plants, intricate pots, or an outdoor rug to your seating area.
Consider what accents in your home make the difference for you. If it’s a sculpture, add one to the yard as a focal point. However, if you’re shooting for one extravagant piece, don’t force it to compete with other elements.
Remember, small accents make a big difference. Using too much will take away from each piece and the space will look cluttered and confusing. Stick to what you truly enjoy seeing through your sliding patio doors or while sitting outside.
3. Use lighting
Most homes will already have a light over the garage doors, at the front door, and the back door. That’s usually it, and it’s a bit mundane. They’re also added to the home as it’s built so they don’t reflect the homeowner’s style and might not even be sufficient lighting.
Now that the exterior of the home is clean and decorated, it’s important to see it when it’s dark as well as have the proper lighting to experience the haven during the evening and at night. Backyards aren’t limited to sunny mornings and afternoons.
Lighting does two things. Most obviously, it provides light. It also offers another opportunity for style and decoration. The easiest step to take first is to upgrade the light fixtures currently there. Change the lightbulbs to a hue that matches your style or the ones inside your home.
Change the fixtures to match the rest of them or the style that’s developing in the backyard. Bohemian, modern, gothic, and other styles will all look different in light fixtures.
Next, add lighting that extends throughout the yard and enhances its beauty. String lights can add whimsy, Edison bulbs can add an industrial feel, and wicker hangers can add a homey touch. Light up the space in unique ways. Install lighting systems that can be changed throughout the year to match the season or upcoming holiday.
4. Reseal the driveway
The front of the home is generally where guests will appear and it’s the side of the home most visible. It’s a big contender in raising the appeal of the home and the neighbourhood, so special attention should be paid to it.
Every driveway is likely to crack or shift throughout the years. Transform the exterior of your home by resealing the driveway.
Or, if that’s not your style, redo the driveway using slabs of your choice, a different colour, or patio stones. There are many options. The key is to not neglect the driveway since it’s part of your home that takes up a lot of visible real estate.
5. Install new windows and doors
Step five is where Centennial Windows & Doors come in. Windows and doors are what make the outside visible when you’re inside, which is one of the reasons why the exterior needs an upgrade. They’re also an element that impacts both the inside and outside of the home, as well as its security and environmental factors. Installing new sliding patio doors or sliding glass doors adds the finishing touch.
Patio sliding doors offer easy access from inside to outside and vice versa. They open up the space and let the natural lighting or newly installed lighting show off the backyard oasis.
Sliding glass doors are a great option to upgrade the house with modern technology and benefits without taking away from the style around it. It’s at once a subtle addition and an attractive feature.
This is a step that comes with assistance. Not only do we cover installation, but we also provide free, in-home consultations, answers to questions, a lifetime warranty, and custom manufacturing.
Planning your upgrades
Now is a great time to get started. If you can get a few upgrades done before the thick of winter, the final look will be ready for the warmer months, and you won’t have to waste the beginning of spring. Instead, get your upgrades done now with our help and start enjoying them right away. One upgrade to consider is installing patio sliding doors.
A new look with Centennial Windows & Doors
Patio sliding doors will open your home to new possibilities as it shuts out the cold weather. Make a connection between the outdoor and indoor spaces to ease transitions from the office to the pool, a place of focus to a place to meditate, a cozy fireplace to a refreshing breeze.Don’t settle for the way your home looked when you moved in. Don’t settle for someone else’s style. Make it yours and make it the space that will drive you to meet your New Year’s resolutions. Shop Centennial sliding patio doors today.